Tomorrow and Sunday, the Forte Village Resort in Santa Margherita di Pula hosts the 12th edition of the Challenge Forte Village Sardinia, an international event organized by Ajoha Sardinia, part of the Challenge Family circuit, and supported by the Sardinia Region's Department of Tourism, Crafts, and Commerce.
The program was presented this morning, during the press conference held in the Sky Suite at Forte Village.
The meeting brought together representatives of institutions, organizers, and key figures from the world of sports. The conference opened with a moment of reflection dedicated to Alex Zanardi, on the day he would have turned 60, to remember, through his story, the values of determination and the ability to face challenges with tenacity.
Race director Andrea Mentasti and the mayors of the municipalities involved in the race attended: Walter Cabasino (Pula), Maria Concetta Spada (Domus de Maria), and Angelo Milia (Teulada). Also present were Carla Medau, representing the Regional Department, Andrea Schiavino, a member of the Fitri Regional Committee, and Juanan Fernandez, Challenge Family quality manager.
The floor was then given to sports figures: Sara Sandrini, winner of the Forte Village Sardinia 2025 Challenge, Aldo Rock, and athletes Giacomo Gentili and Simone Baldini. Closing the presentations was Lauren Steadman, British Paralympic medalist and television personality, former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and recent winner of MasterChef UK.
In the front row, an empty chair recalled “An Occupied Place”, an initiative born at a national level to remember women victims of male violence and relaunched in Sardinia by the Office
of the Ombudsman: a symbolic gesture to remember the place these women could have occupied in everyday life. The chair will also be present at the awards ceremony.
Over 500 athletes will be attending the sporting weekend animated by the Challenge Forte Village Sardinia, and 60 professionals from twelve nations will take part in the Middle Distance on Sunday.
Both the men's and women's races will feature the 2025 winners, Germany's Lasse Nygaard Priester and Italy's Sara Sandrini, ready to defend their titles. Among the men, Germany's Tom Hug (winner of the 2024 Challenge Peguera-Mallorca), Britain's Louis Buttrick (third overall at Forte Village in 2025), Belgium's Joran Driesen, France's Pierre Dupuy (winner of the 2026 Challenge Vieux Boucau and the 2026 Gérardmer XL), Britain's Joshua Lewis, Germany's Ruben Zepuntke, Hungary's Gabor Faldum, and France's Florent Lefebvre. Among the Italians, Andrea Figini and Federico Murero are expected.
In the women's field, Sandrini returns strong, having won the Italian middle-distance title in 2024, her fourth-place finish at the European Championships that same season, and her silver medal at the 2026 European Championships. Athletes expected include Germany's Daniela Kleiser, France's Justine Guérard (winner of the 2025 Challenge Sanremo), Britain's Nikki Bartlett, and Hungary's Gabriella Zelinka. The Italian contingent also includes Ilaria Zane (transitioning from Olympic triathlon to longer distances), Lilli Gelmini (sixth at Forte Village in 2025), Denise Cavallini, Valentina D'Angeli, and Nicoletta Santonocito. Tomorrow, the Sprint Triathlon kicks off at 10:00 a.m.: a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride toward Pula, and a 5-kilometer run, covering two laps within the resort. From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Kids Duathlon will take place, for kids aged 6 to 15. The meeting point is set for 2:30 p.m. in Piazzetta Enzo, inside Forte Village, where participants will be accompanied by Fabio Aru to the race area. Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, the middle-distance races will take place: Middle Distance, Tri Together, and Aquabike. The Middle Distance includes a 1.9-kilometer swim (with a rolling start), a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a 21-kilometer run. The cycling course will pass through the towns of Pula, Domus de Maria, Teulada, and Sant'Anna Arresi, while the running leg will wind along the coast, towards Cala d'Ostia, to the finish line in the new Forte Village square. Among the most distinctive moments of the cycling course is the "Muro della Volpe" (Fox Wall) in Sant'Anna Arresi: a 150-meter uphill section at the center of a special ranking, supported by Red Bull, for the fastest athletes on this section of the course. The Tri Together allows you to tackle the distance as a team, dividing the legs between multiple participants, while the Aquabike includes swimming and cycling, without the running leg. Great attention will also be paid to safety at sea: the swimming course will be supervised by K38 operators aboard jet skis, with the support of iLifesave, British aquatic safety professionals who hold the Senior National Vocational Lifeguard qualification issued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Alongside the races, A Walk for Colors returns on Sunday, a charity walk in support of the Ivi Association and artist Sally Galotti, who are involved in the pictorial humanization project for the pediatric wards at Arnas Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari. The initiative continues a process begun last year, which has already led to paintings on the sixth floor of Cagliari's Microcitemic Hospital, with the aim of making hospital environments more welcoming for children and their families through color and art. To ensure the races can be held safely, temporary traffic restrictions will be implemented on Saturday and Sunday. A complete closure to traffic has been implemented from Forte Village (km 39+276 of the SS195) to km 34+710 of the SS195 between 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. tomorrow and between 7:30 a.m. and approximately 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Also on Sunday, between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., traffic will be temporarily suspended along the 90km of the cycling leg through the municipalities of Pula, Domus De Maria, Teulada, and Sant'Anna Arresi, along the SS195 and SP71, starting thirty minutes before the vehicle carrying the "cycling race start" sign passes and until fifteen minutes after the vehicle carrying the "cycling race end" sign passes. The organizers urge residents and motorists to pay attention to temporary signage and instructions from personnel along the routes. The Challenge Forte Village Sardinia thus renews its appointment with the international triathlon in southern Sardinia, combining the sporting competition with initiatives dedicated to young people, solidarity, and social awareness.